Insulated container



April 1952 R. w. MONEALY ET AL INSULATED CONTAINER Filed Dec. 20, 1947INVENTOR. fay 20224 M/y e42 Jzm A. G/gssmaw Patented Apr. 1, 1952INSULATED CONTAINER Raymond W. McNealy and Jacob A. Glassman, Chicago,111.

Application December 20, 1947, Serial No. 792,953

2 Claims. 1

The invention relates to improvements in containers and moreparticularly to a novel thermocontainer of paper material embodyingstructural features adapting easily assembled interior and exteriorcontainers to ready disassembly for use of either portion thereofindependently of the other.

It is common practice, when serving a hot or cold beverage for example,to put the beverage in a container or cup of paper material. Suchpractice does not take into account the fact that a temperature changein the contents occurs veryrapidly owing to the lack of anythermoinsulating properties in the thin walls of the paper container.Thus, hot beverages cool rapidly and cold beverages become tepid verysoon after being placed in the container, especially under temperatureconditions existing when such beverages are in greatest demand. Also,the serving of hot beverages in athin wall container is disadvantageousbecause of the difficulty and inconvenience of handling.

The invention therefore has the purpose of overcoming the aforementioneddisadvantages arising from the use of known types of paper containers.To this end a double-walled container of paper material is providedwhich includes means for sealing the contents within an interiorcontainer and sealing the sealed interior container within an exteriorcontainer in such manner as to provide dead air space or spaces entirelyaround the interior container. The invention is further characterized bya structure that permits the interior container to be easily and quicklyinserted and secured in or separated and withdrawn from the exteriorcontainer without distortion of either container.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide athermo-container of a kind that overcomes the disadvantages of use nowpresent in containers of known construction.

Another object is to provide a thermo-container that is not tooexpensive to manufacture and which can be assembled easily and quicklyby the beverage vendor.

Another object is to provide a thermo-container in which either or boththe interior and exterior containers may be fabricated along the linesof conventional containers made of paper material and now in use andwhich are, therefore, capable of use independently one from the other.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent fromthe following description and claims, and are illustrated -in-theaccompanying drawings which, by -way of -illus tration, show exemplaryembodiments and the principles thereof. Other embodiments of theinventionembodying the same principle may-be used, and structuralchanges may be made as, desired by those skilled in theart, without dcparting from the present invention and the purview of the appendedclaims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal central sectional view through athermo-container embodying features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central sectional view through athermo-container embodying other features of the invention.

Figs. 3 and 4 are each longitudinal central sectional-views of differentcontainers embodying other modified features-of the invention.

Throughout the disclosure, like numerals are used to identifycorresponding parts.

Features of the present invention are applicable to severaldifferenttypes of containers of paper material, including a typecommonly referred to as the Dixie container. One such thermo-containerutilizing a conventional type of Dixie container is illustrated inFig. 1. As shown, the assembly includes an exterior cuplike container llhaving-a bottom Wall "I2 and a cylindrical side wall I3. The cylindricalwall t3 preferably flares outwardly upwardly and is formed onits-peripheral-edge with an exterior circumferential beaded lip I l. Apair of axially spaced circumferential ribs l5 and [6 respectively areformed in the container wall below the lip l'zl. As shown, the ribsIB-and H5 protrude on the outside surface of the container wall 13 wasto provide circumferential recesses l1 and 'larespectively on the insidewall surface. 1

The exterior container l [is arranged to receive entirely avithinitsconfines -an-interior container 21 which-includes a bottom 2-2 and acylindrical wall '23. The cylindrical wall 23 terminates at its upperfree edge in an external peripheral bead or lip -24-andit has, spaced-therebelow,- a circumferential external rib 25 defining an in ternalcircumferential groove or recess 25.

In use, the interior container 2| is adapted to contain the beverage orother temperatureaffected-substance which is sealed therein' as by meansof a circular cap 2-! of a kind that is pressed firmly downwardly intothe open container mouth until its peripheral edge '-is engaged in "theinternal circumferentialrecess 26. It isretained-inplace by suchengagementuntil forcibly withdrawn. The filled mterior container 2|-is-contained-Within-the exterior c'ontai-nerll as shown. The interiorcontainer is suspended within the exterior container H in such mannerthat its wall and bottom are spaced from the wall and bottom of theexterior container so as to thereby define an air space 28 entirelysurrounding the interior container.

Suspension of the interior container 21 within the exterior container Hmay be accomplished by means of an annulus 3| which has its outerperipheral edge firmly seated in the exterior container recess |8 asshown. The inner peripheral edge of the annulus 3| is of suchcircumference as to receive the interior container 2| snugly therein. Asillustrated, the inner peripheral edge of the annulus 3| is nestedsnugly against the interior container wall 23 below the circumferentialhead or lip 24 in such manner that the lip 24 afiords means forsuspending the interior container in position. Unintentional withdrawalor displacement of the interior container is avoided by the presence ofthe circumferential rib 25 on the interior container which is ofsufficient outside dimensions to engage beneath the marginal innerperipheral edge of the annulus 3| tainer is suitably sealed as by meansof a ciri cular closure cap 32 which has its peripheral edge seatedsnugly in the internal circumferential recess ll of the externalcontainer. This provides an additional dead air space 28 between theclosure caps 21 and 32.

It should be quite evident at this time that the interior container iscompletely surrounded by dead air space which affords thermo means toprevent rapid temperature change in the contents thereof. If desired,all or some of the spaces 28 between the container walls may be filledwith ice to thereby increase the thermal efiectiveness of the containerfor maintaining the contents of the interior container at a desired lowtemperature.

The construction described in detail hereinabove and illustrated in Fig.1 clearly embodies the use of interior and exterior containers ofsubstantially conventional construction and because each container iscomplete in itself, said containers may be used independently of eachother.

Fig. 2 illustrates a slightly modified form of thermo-container whereinthe interior container 21a is provided on its upper edge with anexternal peripheral lip or flange 33 of such outside dimension as todispose its peripheral edge for engagement and snug seating in theinternal recess |8 of the external container l3. This constructionaffords a structure whereby an air space or spaces 28 is providedentirely around the interior container and the number of parts requiredin the assembly is reduced to a minimum.

Fig. 3 illustrates a thermo-container embodying other features of thepresent invention. As illustrated, the interior container 2| isconstructed like the interior container 2| of Fig. 1. The

exterior container ||a is provided, in the presbelow the annular rib l5.The protuberances 34 extend inwardly from the external container wall adistance Sllfficlel'lt to admit the interior container 2| for insertionof the latter into the exterior container in the manner shown. Suchinsertion of the interior container 2| locates the circumferential lipor head 24 of the interior container in abutment with the protuberances34 whereby the interior container is held suspended. Inadvertentwithdrawal or displacement upwardly of the interior container is avoidedby means of the annular external rib 25 on the interior container, whichfrictionally abuts the bottom faces of the protuberances 34.

The thermo-container illustrated in Fig. 4 differs from theconstructions previously described in that an external container 35 isprovided, substantially midway of its height, with a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced inwardly struck protuberances 36 and aprotuberance 3'! in its bottom wall 38. The protuberances 35 and 3!afford means for supporting the interior container 2| within and spacedfrom the wall and bottom of the exterior container. A closure cap 39,which has its peripheral margin seated in the circumferential internalrecess H of the external container 35, also is provided with aprotuberance 4| which extends downwardly therefrom and is of sufficientlength to dispose its end substantially in contact with the top surfaceof the interior container closure 21. This engagement between theprotuberance 4| and the interior container closure 21 prevents upwarddisplacement of the interior container when the exterior container isclosed and sealed by its closure cap 39. In this structure a dead airspace or ice chamber 28 is provided entirely around the interiorcontainer 2|.

It should be quite evident at this time that applicants have provided avery inexpensive thermoccntainer embodying as its major parts containersconstructed substantially like forms now in common use and that saidthermo-container is highly efiicient inasmuch as a completely sealed-indead air space is provided to prevent rapid temperature changes of thecontents. It should be understood also that, although severalembodiments of the invention have been disclosed herein, the inventionis capable of embodying various modifications in detail constructionwithout departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of theappended claims.

We claim:

1. An insulated container comprising, in combination, a thin walledexternal container having a pair of spaced apart circumferential grooveson the inside surface of its well adj acentits open top, an annulushaving its outer peripheral margin seated in the lowermost of saidgrooves, a thin walled internal container insertable through saidannulus, an external circumferential bead surrounding the mouth of theinternal container and an external annular protuberance spaced belowsaid bead to define an annular channel between the bead andprotuberance, said annular external protuberance being of such outsidediameter as to facilitate its forced passage through the annulus so asto dispose the inner peripheral edge of the annulus in said channel, anda cover for the external container peripherally engageable in theuppermost groove of the external container.

2. An insulated container comprising, in combination, a thin walledexternal container having a pair of spaced apart circumferential grooveson 5 the inside surface of its wall adjacent it open top, an annulushaving its outer peripheral margin seated in the lowermost of saidgrooves, a thin walled internal container insertable through saidannulus, an external circumferential bead surrounding the mouth of theinternal container and an external annular protuberance spaced belowsaid bead to define an annular channel between the bead andprotuberance, said annular external protuberance being of such outsidediameter as to facilitate its forced passage through the annulus so asto dispose the inner peripheral edge of the annulus in said channel, acover for the internal container peripherally engageable in the internalgroove formed by the annular protuberance therein, and a cover for theexternal container peripherally engageable in the uppermost groove ofthe external container.

RAYMOND W. McNEALY. JACOB A. GLASSMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Greenbaum et a1. Aug. 4, 1874Bryant Aug. 13, 1878 Thompson Nov. 30, 1880 Hills Aug. 4, 1885 HoldenJuly 24, 1888 Hinman Jan. 2, 1894 Burt May 5, 1896 Frost July 21, 1903Martin July 25, 1905 Drisdale July 27, 1909 Goff Sept. 8, 1914 FerdonApr. 15, 1919 Endicott Nov. 8, 1927 Guidry June 23, 1942 Alman Jan. 18,1944 Barbieri Mar. 4, 1947

